Industry News Briefs

BURLESON – The Metroplex-based Galois Group has acquired the Burleson Star from Palo Pinto Communications, LLP – almost a year after Palo Pinto acquired the newspaper and 22 sister publications from Digital First Media.
According to the new owners, the 52-year-old Burleson Star is now the Galois Group’s flagship news vehicle, breaking away from Palo Pinto’s Graham Newspapers Inc., which publishes the Graham Leader, the Breckenridge American and the Olney Enterprise.
Currently, the Star covers Burleson and the communities of Keene and Alvarado. The Galois Group’s two principals, local residents David C. Martin and Dianne Egan, said they intend to keep coverage of the 3,000-circulation newspaper as “hyper-local as possible.”
“Our first job is to take care of Burleson,” Martin said.
Martin comes from an extensive media and advertising background that spans nearly six decades. Egan has worked in a number of arenas over the years, most notably international real estate.
Both principals say they respect the history of the Burleson Star, which began publication in October of 1965 with Al White as publisher. White was also the publisher of the Johnson County News in Cleburne. Wayne Hutson joined him and eventually became sole owner, sending “camera ready” pages to Fort Worth for printing until 1976, when ABC Publishing Co. was formed to print the Burleson Star and other weekly newspapers in Cleburne.
Sharon Cregg is general manager of the newspaper and Ben Tinsley is managing editor.

Ian White Publications purchases The Post from D&V Day Investments

TEXAS CITY – The Post founder David Day stepped down as publisher after selling the twice-weekly newspaper to editor Ian White’s new company, Ian White Publications.
White purchased the title from Day’s company, D & V Day Investments, which has published The Post throughout Galveston County since forming the publication in Santa Fe in November 2003.
After he and his family signed the sale agreement, Day said he would be returning to his “first love” of advertising sales —working with The Post, a move he hoped would “optimize revenues as the county’s economy expands.”
White joined the newspaper in 2013 working part time and became full-time editor in 2015.
Both White and Day said the new arrangement will keep the newspaper growing in the future.
The Post, now based Texas City, publishes Wednesday and Sunday and online at www.thepostnewspaper.net.

Mercedes Enterprise, Mid Valley Publications acquired by Hinojosas

MERCEDES – C.A. Hinojosa and Dr. Barbara Baggerly-Hinojosa finalized the purchase of Mid Valley Publishers, Inc. and in January became new owners of The Mercedes Enterprise in Hidalgo County.
Since 1908, the Mercedes Enterprise has been reporting on community
events and information relevant to the citizens of the Queen City. The Hinojosas said they hope to carry on the work of previous owners Robert and Olga Hinds with the weekly publication.
“The vision of Mid Valley Publishers, Inc. is to provide weekly information that informs and serves the community,” said Baggerly-Hinojosa, who will serve as publisher of the newspaper. She is also a faculty member at Our Lady of the Lake University in La Feria and CEO of Leadership Empowerment Group, LLC Hinojosa is the newspaper’s sales manager and COO of Leadership Empowerment Group, LLC.
Pete G. Martinez continues to serve as the office manager for the Mercedes Enterprise, and Clarissa Martinez leads the newspaper as the editor.

NNA offers member convention price to non-members in Texas

For the National Newspaper Association 131st Annual Convention & Trade Show Oct. 5-7 in Tulsa, Okla., non-NNA member newspapers in Oklahoma and the states that border Oklahoma are offered the opportunity to attend at the NNA member price.
The program will address pressing business objectives of community newspaper owners, publishers and senior staff with educational sessions and peer sharing activities.
The event is scheduled at the Hyatt Regency Tulsa, 100 E. 2nd St. Tulsa, Okla. Full registration of $435 includes four general sessions, five sets of round table discussion sessions, an exhibit hall with more than 30 exhibitors and tickets to a welcome reception, two breakfasts, two lunches and one dinner with entertainment.
Registration forms, hotel reservation contacts and more information are available at www.nnaweb.org/convention.

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